A Weekend in Savannah, GA

Note: This post was originally published on my old lifestyle blog, monicadutia.com.

It’s been almost two years since my last full travel post (I’m so glad we managed to sneak NOLA in right before the pandemic hit) and it’s only fitting that the first one back recaps the Savannah trip my bestie and I were supposed to take March 14, 2020. It was both a reunion and a celebration of sorts...we were both engaged at the same time but hadn't had the chance to celebrate together!Obviously the trip got put on hold indefinitely and back in November, we decided it was time to take our chances on rebooking and rescheduled for mid-January. While Omicron still impacted what we actually did comfort-wise, it was still a really nice couple of days! The only downside was that we happened to visit on historically cold days so it was freezing the whole time and rainy all day Friday–I think this trip was just a little jinxed :) But Savannah was the perfect quick getaway and is a great spot for a girls trip–I'd love to go back when it's not cold and rainy and tainted by pandemic times!

Where we stayed

We booked a king room at The Alida (a Marriott property); it’s right off River Street in the Historic District and was walkable to everything we did. The hotel was on the pricer side given how "off- season" Savannah is in January, but they do offer complimentary wine and baked goods for guests from 3-5pm, a $30 daily food + beverage voucher, and a $15 daily allowance towards their curated lobby shop. We took full advantage of these perks and put our vouchers towards cocktails in the cozy lobby bar downstairs both days.

Dinner at Bar Julian // Brunch at The Collins Quarter

Where we ate

Savannah has no shortage of great food–we loved every meal we had!

Bar Julian: The rooftop restaurant at the Thompson hotel. Great Mediterranean food–we shared the Carolina gold rice balls, whipped feta, arugula salad, soppressata pizza, and fresh bread. This was a rec from Grace and did not disappoint! I agree with her takeaway that the bread is really, really good. Unfortunately it was cold and rainy so we couldn't sit outside, but the roof has incredible views of the river and would be great in better weather!

Dessert at Old Pink House // Ice Cream at Leopold's

The Collins Quarter: There are two locations; we went to the Forsyth Park one for brunch on Saturday morning. We got the bacon and egg biscuit and the mushies + toast–both were delicious and generously-sized. The patio heaters weren't great where we were so it was chilly, but they have a really nice outdoor setup with views of the park.

Olde Pink House: This was the #1 Savannah recommendation I received and it lived up to expectations! We shared the "Southern Sushi," BLT salad, crab soup, fried chicken, and a chocolate peanut butter mousse dessert. We were seated in the upstairs ballroom which wouldn't be my preference next time (the rest of the restaurant is really cozy and moody), but it was extremely well-distanced which was comforting given the times. I wish we'd ventured down to the basement–it's apparently really cool–and would definitely request a table there or in one of the side rooms next time.

The Grey: A former Greyhound bus station turned restaurant–basically an upscale diner. This place was one of the most highly recommended but I personally preferred Bar Julian and Olde Pink House; the Grey's crab beignets were phenomenal but the brunch menu felt limited and for the first time in a very long time, nothing really stood out to me! I wound up getting the biscuits and gravy but swapped the biscuits for rosti. The food was good and the service was great, it just wasn't my most favorite meal we had and I'd expected to be blown away. I'm definitely in the minority here so take this with a grain of salt.

The Grey Market: A market by the folks from The Grey; there's a little bit of seating but it's great for grab-and-go, especially in the way of coffee, breakfast pastries, desserts, or lunch. I picked up a delicious chicken salad sandwich and butterscotch pudding right when I arrived on Friday and took it back to our hotel to finish work for the day.

Leopold's Ice Cream: The go-to local ice cream spot. I got a scoop of the hot chocolate!

SCAD // The Paris Market

What we did

We flew in Friday; I got in around lunch time and finished my workday from the hotel, and Britt got in around 4pm. We settled in, grabbed wine from the hotel's happy hour to take upstairs while we got ready, and then came down to the lobby for cocktails before heading to dinner at Bar Julian.

Our general plan was really to just walk around and catch up over good food and drinks, so we didn't have a super set schedule beyond restaurant reservations and a ghost tour. After a slower start Saturday morning, we walked over to The Collins Quarter in Forsyth Park for brunch and spent the next few hours wandering through the park, squares (the city has 22 of them!), residential streets, and shops. We popped into the Savannah College of Art and Design's (SCAD) shop and main building (and caught their new-ish "show," SCADstory), and made our way back to the hotel for some downtime + happy hour before drinks, dinner, and the ghost tour.

Sunday morning (finally better weather!) was spent grabbing tea + coffee and walking on the river, followed by brunch at The Grey, ice cream at Leopold's, and some more strolling around the Historic District before our flights!

Ghost City Tours: We did their 1.5 hour walking ghost tour Saturday night; Savannah is a haunted city, so ghost tours are a big part of the experience. I'd be lying if I said I was super into it, but if that's your thing, it's a must! It's also a nice time to take advantage of the area's generous open container policy :)

Stores we really enjoyed popping into: One Fish Two Fish (and The Annex across the street), E. Shaver Books,  Asher + Rye, The Paris Market, Savannah Bee Company